1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf balls and more particularly to water-soluble golf balls.
2. Prior Art
Throughout the United States and the industrialized world golf is one of the most popular leisure sports enjoyed by a wide range of citizens. A common exercise of the world golfing population involves the practice and perfecting of golfing abilities by the hitting dozens of golf balls at public and private practice facilities known as driving ranges. A common and familiar sight to a golfer frequenting driving ranges is the thousands of golf balls which cover the driving range area prior to their retrieval.
Another popular pastime for golf patrons who take sea cruises aboard cruise lines is to practice their golfing skills by driving golf balls from the ships deck directly into the water surrounding the ship. In the not too distant past many a seagoing golfer was able to practice his golf ball driving skills aboard almost all such cruise line ships.
Because the thousands of golf balls ejected from cruise ships have a polluting effect on the marine environment and the aquatic life therein a statute was enacted by the International Maritime Organization (MARPOL) banning the dumping of refuse containing plastic into the world's oceans. The practice of driving golf balls has been virtually banned by most cruise ship lines because they contained plastic and other insulating material banned by the MARPOL.
Since golf balls are made of plastic and/or rubber and other insoluble materials, the balls driven from cruise ships into the sea, or from land based driving ranges into a water continue to exist in that environment for many years. These golf balls, when ingested by sea life and fresh water dwelling creatures, may cause death or illness due to choking, bowel obstruction or ingestion of toxic substances.
Widely used insoluble golf balls disclosed by the prior art and noted below are made to endure in the harsh golf club environment for years. Thus, driving ranges used by thousands of persons practicing swing and distance golf ball driving are limited to spaces of land which allow for the easy retrieval of the golf balls used thereon.
There is great advantage of waster soluble golf balls over widely used insoluble golf balls since the water soluble golf ball armlessly dissolves into the environment into which they were driven. Using water soluble golf balls, driving balls from ships at sea or on freshwater can be considered safe for animals and plants existing in the aquatic environment. Additional areas on land also become available for driving ranges along lakes, sea shores, swamps, and other areas since golf balls that dissolve no longer need to be retrieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,104 (Kane) teaches a two piece golf ball providing conventional golf ball performance characteristics and comprised of a water soluble core encased in a water soluble external skin. The water soluble skin is adhered to the water soluble core with a water soluble adhesive. The entire golf ball will dissolve in water after a period of time.
Kane is at the forefront of water soluble golf ball manufacturing and injection molding of water soluble golf balls and this invention is an improvement upon his unique invention set forth in the above referenced patent to Kane by eliminating some manufacturing steps thereby lessening costs and labor presently required to fabricate water soluble golf balls from multiple parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,541 (Desmarias) teaches a golf tee composed of water thermoplastic material which is water soluble. While addressing the need for water soluble products in the golfing environment Desmarias only discloses a platform to place golf balls upon which if lost or disposed of on a golf course or lawn will not damage lawn mower blades. Desmarias does not teach how to the manufacture a golf ball having similar playing characteristics as normally used golf balls which would be water soluble.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,374,692 (Miller) teaches an oxidized soy bean oil mixed with rubber materials to produce a material of uniform composition for the covering of golf balls. The intent of Miller, however, is to use the soy bean oil to produce a long lasting golf ball cover which is extremely tough and resilient and similar in performance to vulcanized rubber covers. In using such a long lasting material the Miller patent teaches against the use of natural and water soluble substances which will produce water soluble golf balls that will dissolve in water in a short period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,807 (Boundy) teaches a simulated golf ball which breaks down into finely divided particles when struck by a golf club. Boundy thus, does not have the conventional playing characteristics of normal golf balls. The Boundy patent is directed to a golf ball that is intended to be a novelty or gag golf ball which breaks down into a fine powder upon being struck by a golf club. Thus the Boundy ball cannot be driven the long distances required in the normal play or practice of golf and would therefor be unusable in any normal golfing applications.
Great Britain Patent 9584 (Rofe) teaches the use of paper pulp as a water soluble component of ball manufacture, however the outer ball surface material as taught by Rofe propounds the use of leather which is neither water soluble over a short period of time nor resilient enough to provide a ball cover with normal golf ball playing characteristics. Further, Rolf makes special mention of the use of Asbestos a known toxic and carcinogenic substance. Rolf thus teaches away from the use of harmless non toxic materials that will dissolve in water in a short period of time. Further, the Rofe ball would not provide normal golf ball playing characteristics since the soft leather outer shell is subject to cutting and tearing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,363,059 (C. W. Green), 2,122,279 (Crane), 2,229,170 (C. W. Green), 2,074,808 (Rickey), 1,202,490 (Davis), 785,184 (Saunders), 699,813 (Richards) and 710,750 (Cavanagh) all deal with a method of making a golf balls. However all the golf balls disclosed in the aforementioned patents deal with the method of manufacturing a long lasting golf ball from various natural and synthetic components and thus teach away from a method for the manufacture of a water soluble or disposable golf ball which will dissolve in water over a short period of time.